Judge Rules On Wayne Republican Primary Ballot Positions

WAYNE, NJ — The two slates of municipal Republican candidates will appear next to each other on the June primary ballot — and neither one in coveted Row "A," a Passaic County judge ruled Wednesday.

Judge Ernest M. Caposela ruled and held a ballot drawing after listening to a few hours of testimony Wednesday morning after Lonni Miller Ryan's slate of candidates filed a complaint in Passaic County Superior Court claiming the ballot was illegal.

Lonni Miller Ryan and her runningmates will appear on Row "F." They are under the endorsement of the Passaic County Regular Republican Organization (PCRRO), along with two freeholder candidates, John Cappo Jr. and Lori Mambelli.

Chris Vergano, a 10-year incumbent, and his slate of candidates — Jill Sasso, David Varano and incumbent Joseph Schweighardt — will appear on Row "E."

NorthJersey.com reported that reprinting the ballots would cost an estimated $4,500.

The report said that 19 Wayne voters have already cast their absentee ballots. John Carbone, attorney for Passaic County Clerk Kristin Corrado, said those voters would have to cast new ballots if new lines were drawn, the report said.

Originally, Miller Ryan's team was slated to be on Row "A," but they ended up on Row "F" because Tim Troast, the Pompton Lakes GOP chairman and Cappo and Mambelli's campaign manager, chose Vergano and his slate of candidates to appear together on Row "A." State law allows Troast to choose with whom he wants his candidates to be bracketed with.

"The court interpreted state statute to be that you need to have the slogan on the consent of the county and since neither of them did, they did the drawing," said Gregg Paster, the lawyer who represented Vergano's slate in court. "My clients would have been satisfied anywhere on the ballot and they feel that they will be successful no matter where they are."

Mike Marotta, PCRRO chairman, said the placement of Vergano's team is "a win" for his.

"They tried to cheat to win an election and now they are down there by us," Marotta said. "Now [Vergano] has to run on his failed record, which includes trying to rezone the town."

Marotta's reference to Vergano's plan to rezone Wayne and build hundreds of affordable-housing units was met with widespread opposition when he proposed it four years ago — the last time he ran for mayor. The matter was later withdrawn for consideration.

Vergano's campaign dismissed the ballot repositing.

Ellen Musto, a spokesperson for Vergano's campaign, said that it "doesn't matter if Chris and his team run on Row "Z," Wayne Republicans will find them wherever they are on the ballot and support them overwhelmingly."

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